Bosworlas Lehau

Natural Rock Feature

Bosworlas Lehau (Natural Rock Feature) on The Modern Antiquarian, the UK & Ireland's most popular megalithic community website. 1 piece of folklore, plus information on many more ancient sites nearby and across the UK & Ireland.

Folklore

Bosworlas Lehau, the flat stones of Bosworlas, called by the country people the Giant's Quoits, are about two miles beyond the monuments last named [at Trannock Downs]. They consist of several very large granite rocks, on the tops of which are numerous rock basons. Borlase, p. 180, mentions "a natural logan-stone in the large heap of rocks called Bosworlas Lehau;" but this is no longer to be discovered. The same writer says that the country people called the largest rock-bason at Bosworlas, a circular one six feet in diameter, the Giant's Chair. Another one, of a similar kind, in the neighbouring rocks at Bosavern, was also said to have formed a seat for a giant. The Giant's Chair is still shown at Bosworlas, as are also the Giant's Table, and his steps leading up into the chair. Bosworlas Lehau looks at a distance as if it consisted of one immense flat piece of granite on the top of a large carn.

Miscellaneous

In Cornwall there are Monuments of a very singular kind, which have hitherto escaped the notice of Travellers; and, though elsewhere in Britain, doubtless, as well as here, in like situations, have never been remarked upon (as far as I can learn) by any Writer; they are Hollows, or artificial Basons, sunk into the surface of the Rocks.

The first which I met with of this kind were those cut into a Karn, or large groupe of Rocks, in the tenement of Bosworlas, in the Parish of St. Just, Penwith, in the year 1737. Three of them may be seen, Plate XX. Fig. VII. d, e, f, p. 219.

There are many more Hollows of the same kind on this Karn; and in the tops of several separate large Rocks, which are scattered in the Valley beneath, there are more, and some have one single Bason on their highest part.